A plethora of fresh Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV spy shots flooded our inbox today, giving us another look at the forthcoming all-electric people mover. It’s related to the EQS sedan on deck for next year, but we haven’t seen much of the SUV and Mercedes is definitely deep into cold-weather testing.
In this instance, deep could be both a figurative and literal description, as there’s quite a bit of snow packed into the lower grille of this prototype. Admittedly, it’s a minor distraction from the rest of the camouflaged front clip, but the swooping outline of the grille can still be seen through the black and white swirl. It’s deceptive though, because the wrap appears to hide false cladding on the hood, giving the impression of a taller profile. In actuality, we suspect this SUV will be rather sleek.
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Moving further back, there seems to be more deceptive cladding beneath the wrap to conceal the shape of the rear hatch. Given the low-slung nature of the EQS in profile, we suspect the rear gate will be far more sculptured as opposed to being tall and flat. Placeholder taillights are still in place, and those black ovals at the corners of the rear bumper are absolutely adorable as pretend exhaust outlets. Such a ruse might be effective for random observers not interested in cars, but to the rest of us, it’s just funny.
It’s true that EQS SUV sightings have only just begun, but we do know a few things about this vehicle. It will join the EQS sedan in the all-electric flagship realm of the Mercedes lineup as part of an extended S-Class family. However, it’s underpinnings won’t be related to its internal-combustion siblings. Both the EQS sedan and SUV will use the automaker’s Electric Vehicle Architecture (EVA) platform, which is designed from the ground-up solely for electric power. That means more space inside for people and things, all while keeping exterior dimensions slimmer.
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We don’t yet have insight as far as performance goes. Multiple electric motors for all-wheel-drive are guaranteed, and there will likely be performance variants available. We have heard that range could stretch over 403 miles (605 kilometers) but that would certainly vary between models and trim levels.
The EQS SUV is part of an electric onslaught from Stuttgart that will see 10 Mercedes EVs in the family by the end of 2022. Right now, we’re expecting this SUV to arrive towards the end of that schedule as a 2023 model.
